<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Phoenix ? Jerry Colangelo made his pitch for USA Basketball to Heat All-Stars and former Olympians Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade on Thursday, with Wade at least considering playing for the national team while O'Neal looks to be out. Wade said Colangelo, managing director for USA Basketball, did most of the talking in the meeting set up by Heat coach Pat Riley. Colangelo has asked players for a three-year commitment to play in camps leading up to the world championships this summer and the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Colangelo, chairman and CEO for the Suns, plans to announce the players for the first camp by the NBA's All-Star break in February. "There is a side of me what wants to go, and there is a side of me that of course wants to win the gold," said Wade, who won bronze at the 2004 Athens Olympics. "But there is a side of me that wants to make sure that things are different this time around." Wade wouldn't specify what he would want to be different with this team. He said earlier this season that coach Larry Brown didn't let the 2004 Olympic team play with enough freedom. The '08 team will be coached by Duke's Mike Krzyzewski. O'Neal, who won a gold medal at the 1996 Olympics and 1994 World Championships, declined comment after practice, but he's consistently said since last season that he's not interested in playing for the national team. "It's the summer, and I've got children duty in the summer," O'Neal said. "That's really the basic reason. The other reason is there are a lot of other young guys. I don't want to take away from their opportunity." Wade said he would get back to Colangelo when he can, because "I have got to go to my family and ask my family, too. I can't commit without going to the people that matter most."</div> Source
